Joshua Tree National Park is located in the Mohave desert and is known for its vast amounts of Joshua Trees, which are actually a type of cacti, not an actual tree. It was a national monument in 1936, then later became a national park in 1994 after the California Desert Protection Act. The park in total has an area of approximately 1,200 square miles, which is slightly larger than Rhode Island. Although its a desert, the nights and mornings can be bitter and cold, some with a low of 50 degrees fahrenheit, so layers are required. However, the afternoons are very harsh, and sun screen is a definite yes. Some even go up to almost 100 degrees. Joshua tree is a three day campout, and many younger scouts should come because it provides the camping experience and also scouts can work on requirements or rank advancement. During the day, Mr. A also does a compass training exercise in which older scouts hide notes all throughout the camp grounds and younger scouts use their new found navigation knowledge to find the notes. The only things written on the notes are the degrees the next note is, and a word of a secret message that is decoded after all notes are found.
Departure: October 27
Return: October 29
Trip Information: Joshua Tree
*** Scouts' behaviors should be in accordance with Scout Oath and Scout Laws. Horseplay, physical violence, harassment, initiation rites, bullying, theft, verbal insults, ..., are prohibited. It's of the utmost importance that scouts follow instructions especially during outings. Otherwise scout, not only put himself in danger, he also endangers those around him. Guardians are responsible for their scouts' manners.
*** Troop policy: friends and guests are welcome to participate in troop activities if their consent form/health form are submitted and if they have a responsible adult company.